Based on the author’s continuous observation, fieldwork, and oral interviewscarried out in the Southern part of Johor, Malaysia, the article highlights how localsocio-economic issues-including public safety and the impact of Singapore onthe economy and society of Southern Johor-have gradually become the mainelectoral focal points during the 12th, 13th and 14th Malaysian general elections(GE12, GE13, GE14) held from 2008 to 2018. The article also investigates howaccess to the Internet has become universal in Southern Johor since the beginningof the 21st century. Online platforms gradually replaced traditional media as criticalplatforms during elections, thereby changing the way campaigns were run. The longterm impacts of these two factors-local issues and the Internet-have ultimatelycontributed to the first regime change in Malaysian history in 2018.Lastly, the article argues that Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) victory did not solely rest onthe cooperation of political party elites; the role of local issues and the impact ofonline platforms were also indispensable. A proposed hypothesis states that thesestructural changes (local socio-economic issues and the Internet factor) at lowerlevels have led to power transition at the top level (politics). This hypothesis does notonly apply in Southern Johor, Malaysia, but also in other places such as Taiwan. |